Missing
by Chikaki
Summary: When a teenager "hires" the Frog brothers to find his older sister, Edgar and Alan immediately assume she's undead. What will they do when they discover her secret?
1. Hired

**Hey! **

**This is the first story in a new series of mine _Edgar and Alan: Supernatural Invesitgators_. You can guess where it's going, I'm sure. =D  
_Signs of Change_ will, of course, updated simultaneously and I'll probably alternate putting up chapters. Or not, depending on the muse. Enjoy!  
Disclaimed: Not mine, as you know. All characters not from the LB universe are mine. Grubby paws off, you in the hoodie. ;)**

* * *

"Alan!"

Edgar Frog huffed as he looked in the backroom for his little brother. Alan should have been back an hour ago. Whenever it was his turn to get food, he'd always bring it to the backroom to eat. While they did, both would sharpen stakes. In addition, Alan would reread his notes. Edgar preferred dunking crosses and sharp stakes into a nice bath of garlic infused holy water to let the soak for a while. Let the bloodsuckers take a bite on that.

He was getting worried about Alan, though he'd never admit it. His little brother was much more trusting than Edgar and therefore more likely to end up drinking what looked like spiked juice or ending up a vampire's meal. Edgar, meanwhile, was more of the 'stake first, ask questions later' sort. After all, they couldn't chomp down on him if they were dead, right?

Edgar stood behind the counter and tapped a finger on the top as he watched a clock beside the register. Behind him, Mr. Frog woke for a moment, looked left and right, then his head drooped back on top of his wife's. Edgar ground his teeth as he looked back at his father's head dropping. The pair could at least _try_ to act more like parents.

If Alan had been late in the day it wouldn't have been as bad. Vampires were, of course, strictly nocturnal. Werewolves could only transform under a full moon, which was two weeks away. There were more things that went bump in the night than they did in the day and Alan knew it.

So where was he?

He had told him many times that soldiers should always be on time. Had drilled it into Alan's head since day one, but right now he couldn't have been further from punctual if the word had bitten him on the ass. Edgar would once again have to remind Alan the meaning of punctual. Then he'd make him fill up their six holy water canisters and several squirt guns to make sure he remembered.

Edgar knew he was tough on Alan. But he only did so because he didn't want to have to stake Alan or shoot him with a silver bullet. Human, without a thirst for blood and a tail, that was how Edgar wanted his brother to stay.

Outside the comic book shop, a group of Surf Nazis ran past; laughing so hard they were almost falling over as a pair of beefy security guards attempted to chase them. That was one of the things Edgar loathed about the boardwalk-the security was pathetic. Just a year before it had been even worse. That was when the gang of vampires frequented the boardwalk. The murder rate was even higher, and despite the fact that Santa Carla still had too many disappearances and murders to be coincidence, the boardwalk had become somewhat safer to roam after dark. For the most part the prowlers there were now human and mortal.

Edgar pulled a worn comic out from under the counter and was beginning to read it when he heard the familiar clomp of army boots. Alan was finally back, his hands free of food. Edgar stomach growled loudly. Where was the grub? Instead of bringing back food, Alan had brought back some teenager with brown hair.

Edgar's eyebrows furrowed, almost looking like a unibrow. His brother was approaching the counter and he reached under for several small objects. "Where were you, Alan? Put your hands out."

Alan obligingly laid his hands flat on the counter while the other boy looked on with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "I was about to get the food when I met this guy." He jerked his head to the brunette as Edgar poured a vial of clear water over his hands and waited a moment. When they didn't turn red or burn from the holy water, Edgar nodded in satisfaction and passed a vial each to Alan and the other boy.

"Drink up."

The boy looked at Alan, who uncorked the vial and downed the holy water in one gulp before looking at their guest. "If you want our help, drink it," Alan ordered. The boy-looking like he felt more than a little foolish-uncorked his and shot it back.

Edgar studied the boy. He wasn't burning, choking, or showing any other signs of being a vampire. One last test, though. The last object he pulled from under the counter was a small silver bracelet, borrowed from their mother's jewellery. It wasn't like she would be wearing it sometime soon. "Touch it."

Both Alan and the boy touched a finger to the bracelet without burning. No werewolf bites, since there was no obvious pain or damage caused by touching the silver. Edgar nodded in satisfaction. The major culprits were clear and if any other sort of creature had infected Alan or the boy, the symptoms would show up soon enough. "Where you from? What do we call you?" he asked the boy with a tone of wariness. "How long have you been here and why do you want our help?"

The teenager studied Edgar momentarily as if trying to decide if he was crazy or not for coming to the shop. He turned his gaze to Alan, who seemed slightly saner than his brother. Finally he heaved a huge sigh and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Name's Ty and I've lived in Santa Carla my whole life. And what do I call you, Mr. Grumpy Pants and Doggy Tags?"

Ty smirked at the astonished and insulted looks he received from the front and right of him. These two-especially Mr. Grumpy Pants-were easily annoyed. It seems that Linny had taught him one useful thing before disappearing. Doggy Tags was smirking in spite of himself. Apparently he found Mr. Grumpy Pants's name amusing. Ty pegged him as the younger sibling. Or maybe the other was just more dominant.

"Either turn around and get out right now or start talking," Edgar grunted by way of rebuttal.

Alan jumped over the counter and jerked his thumb at his older brother. "That's Edgar. I'm Alan." In his mind, there really wasn't any need to start arguing with Ty. After all, he had done in less than a minute what Alan had been trying to do for fifteen years: He had annoyed Edgar. The beautiful event was stored in his memory to be laughed at during another time. Oh, how easily he would be able to annoy Edgar with that little memory.

Ty held up is hands in mock surrender, but hid his smirk by ducking his head towards the ground. "Alright, alright, I'm here about my sister. She went missing-"

"-And you want us to find her." Edgar interrupted. "Sorry, but if someone goes missing in Santa Carla, it's vampires and the people don't turn up. Ever."

"Fourteen years ago," Ty said, glaring at Edgar. "But I saw someone last night who looked just like her." He dug into his pocket, reaching for and pulling out a worn black and white photograph. "The girl looked like my sister does here. Thing is, this picture was taken a few days before Linny went missing. In nineteen _seventy-four._"

The brothers examined the photo. The girl had large, mischievous eyes and a happy smirk. Unaware of the Frogs's distraction, Ty kept talking. "The girl didn't see me and kept talking to her friends, but she even sounded like Linny and-"

"You say this chick was your sister's twin, despite going missing more than a decade ago?" asked Alan. Ty nodded and Alan exchanged a look with Edgar. The wheels in their heads were churning and they both carried a similar thought. But before they told Ty of their suspicions, they would at least do a little investigating. After all, if she was a bloodsucker, all the better to stake her, _then_ tell Ty. And if she wasn't undead, well, that was none of their business.

"We do charge a fee, you know." Edgar said. Ty's eyebrows shot up high enough to be almost hidden by his hair.

"You _what?_ I'm not paying you anything!"

"You will if you want us to look for your sister." Alan replied, slipping a hastily scribbled piece of paper over with their prices. He had only written a minute before while Edgar spoke. No vampires survived in Santa Carla under their watch. And monetary donations were important for supplies and comics. Information was half the job in Alan's mind. Even if Edgar disagreed.

Ty picked up the sheet in disbelief and snorted. "You want a hundred bucks for labour and then one fifty for, and I quote, _each slain creature_? Are you shitting me or is this just a really good prank? Didn't know you had it in you, Mr. Grumpy Pants."

"My-name-is-_Edgar_", hissed Edgar. "And if you want us to find information on her, you will."

It was then that Ty burst out laughing as what the pair was saying clicked, sending the only other customer in the store to peer over with a frightened look and run away. "You think Linny is a-a-vampire?!"

Neither Frog said a word as Ty grasped hold of the counter to keep from falling over. They didn't know why he thought the possibility of his sister being a vampire was so funny-vampires were a serious threat to the people of not only Santa Carla, not only the state or even the country, but they were a serious threat to the people of the entire planet. Not enough people knew how much of a threat they were, so it was up to them to stake as many as possible. Even if people laughed his ass off at the theory. Like Ty was doing before them.

Ty's laughter died off at last. Alan gave him a pointed look. "Done?"

"Almost." With one final whoop Ty calmed down enough to turn back to the pair. "So you honesty think my older sister is a vampire?" Edgar and Alan nodded and he continued. "Because I said that this girl looked like Linny did when she disappeared?" Another nod. "Okay, at least now I know where we stand. You're both nutjobs."

"We're not crazy," said Edgar through gritted teeth, "Just last year we took care of a whole pack of vampires."

Ty's response was just a look that said he still though they were crazy.

Edgar fumed and ran a hand through his hair. This was getting nowhere-Ty hadn't a clue as to what might happen if they found his sister and she was a bloodsucker. The fact that he thought they were crazy didn't help much either. Alan looked at his brother and realized just how close Edgar was to blowing his top. Before he had the chance he elbowed the elder Frog and nodded at Ty. "We'll look for your sister."

Despite thinking that the Frog brothers were absolutely out of their minds, Ty couldn't help but beam when they agreed to do research on Linny. If the two nutjobs could not only find out what happened to her, but bring her back, then he might actually give them five bucks. But not if they continued to insist that she might be a vampire. He nodded. "Great. Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it, even if you're nut-"

"Call us nutjobs again and the deal's off," interrupted Edgar. Ty said nothing, but smirked. He and Edgar were going to get along wonderfully.

Alan stepped on his brother's foot and spoke. "Come back tomorrow. We'll need you to tell us about your sister so we can have an informed investigation."

"Wait, why can't I just tell you now?" Ty asked, confused. "And when you say informed investigation, do you mean not going in looking like total idiots?"

Inwardly Alan squirmed, even if on the exterior both Frogs showed no sign of being insulted beside a twitch in Edgar's jaw. "We need information to get better results faster."

"And noon so we know you're not a bloodsucker." Edgar grunted.

Ty shook his head and questioned himself as to why he came here again. "Okay, fine."

As he turned to leave, Alan asked him one last question: "Why did you come to us to find your sister?"

Ty looked over his shoulder and paused. "Well, for one, you two are the only ones crazy enough to believe me when I say this girl was Linny's dead-ringer," he said, "And I heard you two talking about following some gang on the boardwalk first time I came in here. That equals cheap-if crazy-P.I.s to not get caught snooping. You've got a reputation to do that. I don't."

Edgar stared open-mouthed at Ty's retreating back. How…he…he still thought they were bonkers. Which was just fantastic, especially he probably wouldn't even pay the price. Why he had agreed to find the guy's sister was beyond him. But if he got the chance to kill some vampires, then maybe it would be worth it.

Alan looked at his brother. He liked Ty so far-anyone who got under Edgar's skin was alright. If it was in the proverbial sense and not the literal sense, since that could include a sharp pair of fangs. He was jerked from his thoughts when Edgar punched him in the arm. "Why didn't you back me up?" he growled.

"Huh?" Alan asked. "When did I not back you up?"

"When that guy insulted us and called us crazy. You could have supported your _own brother_ a little more."

It didn't take much for Edgar to get angry, but it did take a lot to make him use the sibling card. Usually he reserved it for the absolute worst situations. So when he did use it, Alan was often blown away which let Edgar win by default. Like now, for example. Alan's jaw dropped to the floor when his brother said it and there his jaw stayed. Eventually when he was able to pick it up, Alan figured he would try to give in and compromise.

Alan stared at his brother while he tried to figure out how to phrase his words. "You're right. I should have backed up you. When Ty comes in tomorrow we'll give him a warning." Edgar looked appeased.

"And you'll back me up next time?"

Alan didn't say anything, but his head moved a tiny fraction up and down.

Edgar lightened up and clapped his brother on the back. "We've gotta stick together, Alan. Remember, we're the only ones who can do anything about the vampires."

He was going on about being a hero again, Alan could see it coming. And when it did, he would need to find a pair of earplugs, because Edgar could happily go on for days about how it was their duty to stop vampires in the name of '_truth, justice, and the American way_'. Despite the fact that Alan agreed with that, there was really only so much a person could hear it repeated over and over until they wished their head exploded. And he had reached that point more than two years ago. If Alan heard it again, he would strongly feel the urge to stake himself.

Blocking Edgar's lecture out, Alan turned to the cash register and began counting the money in the till. The shop had enjoyed a good day and there was a decent amount of money in there. He took it out and, after placing it in a bag, carried it to the backroom to put in the safe. Tomorrow, when their aunt came by to check up on, she could take it to the bank. The Frog parents were unreliable with money and often spent half of it on their weed, not even realizing where the money came from. Alan's lip curled into a sneer. He wished that their parents were more like parents.

"Alan?" Edgar called out, having been closing and locking the front doors, "Do you think we're gonna find Ty's sister?"

Alan shrugged. "Maybe. As long as she's not a vampire."


	2. A little more information

**Title of the chapter borrowed and/or parodied from the Elvis song, "A Little less conversation". So thanks, Elvis.**

* * *

The sun was shining brightly with a few clouds lazing across the sky as the 'Not – a - Toad Comics' shop did their daily business. Alan was busily arranging comics on the shelves, the cardboard box at his feet half full with various titles. Edgar stood at the register, gruffly explaining _Superman _to a curious tourist who knew little about the man of steel. Both had one eye on the clock and another on the entrance to the shop. It was close to noon and they assumed Ty was going to be on time.

After Alan had organized the comics improperly for the third time, he gave up on it for the time being and put the remaining comics in the backroom. If he was going to be so distracted, then he would be no good to anyone or anything. Instead, he joined Edgar behind the counter and fiddled with the antenna on top of the small television, trying for a better picture.

"No, kryptonite _hurts_ Superman, it doesn't help him," Edgar explained for the third time. This guy was a dim bulb and wasn't understanding Superman at all.

"But a minute ago you said-"

"Nevermind what I said a minute ago, right now I'm saying that kryptonite is bad," he growled. His short, skinny nerves had already reached the breaking point. He just wanted the tourist out now. "So are you gonna buy it or not?"

The man threw the comic down on the counter and left in a huff. Obviously he wasn't so interested in it anymore.

"Dumbass," Edgar grumbled under his breath, picking up the comic and putting it back on the shelf. "Why do people keep walking in here and wasting our time? It's not like we don't have better things to do."

Alan looked over at his brother from the television and gave up on it, settling with the slightly fuzzy picture. "They don't get it. If they knew what was going on after dark, they would beg us to help them."

"Are we having delusions of superiority?" A voice piped up.

Both Frogs whipped to the storefront to see Ty amble in, a huge box in his hands. "Sorry I'm late," he explained, looking none-too-sorry. "But this thing is heavier than it looks."

He dropped the box down on the counter with a grunt. "What is it?" Edgar asked, eyeing the thick layer of dust on top.

"This?" Ty patted it, sending up a cloud of dust that made all three sneeze. "This is everything I have on Linny. It was in the attic - I guess my parents didn't want to think about her after she went missing, because there's no sign of her at all in the house. You'd never know she was there unless you knew that she disappeared."

Alan sneezed again before opening the cardboard flaps. The box was full of picture frames, albums, old schoolwork, even a few pieces of clothes and a hairbrush. He pulled out the hairbrush and saw the fine blonde hairs still clinging desperately to the bristles. "So you brought _everything_?"

Ty nodded. "You didn't say it wouldn't help. Figured you could become…how'd you put it last night? Oh, yeah…_more informed_." Edgar ground his teeth together, having decided that Ty had once again insulted them.

"Let's start at the beginning. Alan, get your notebook," he ordered, ignoring the look he got from his brother before pointing at Ty. "And you're gonna start at the beginning. Tell us everything, starting with when your sister went missing."

"I guess," Ty replied, and waited until Alan had retrieved his notebook from the backroom before starting. "I said I was four when she left, right? So I don't know _all_ of the details."

"Get on with it," Edgar growled.

"Okay, okay. When I was four Linny was still around and-"

"Is that her name? If not, what is and what was her birthday? Include the year," Alan asked.

"No, that's just what I called her. Her name was Abelline, but she didn't really like that. I think she would have gone by something else. And her birthday was…I think…August third. In '54."

"Abelline what? Is it your last name, too?" Alan asked again, noting that she would be thirty four if still alive - and mortal.

"Marshall, yeah." Ty replied, hopping up on the counter and crossing his legs. "Linny Marshall. Can I continue now?"

"Yeah yeah, go ahead," Edgar said, glaring at him for being on their counter.

"A few days before she left we got family pictures done. It's the most recent one I could find. That kid in her arms is me – I've always been so damn good looking," he said, tossing a photograph of four people beside him. While the Frogs looked at it, he kept going. "I can remember Linny and Dad and Mom arguing a lot. They hated her friends, hated that she wasn't going to college and hated what she was doing with her life. She didn't like school, y'know? I guess she wasn't good with being on a schedule."

"Go back to her friends and what she was doing with her life," Edgar ordered.

"Sure. Mom and Dad yelled that she was coming home all hours of the night, saying that they smelled cigarettes on her clothes, that sort of stuff. Mom would say that her friends were setting a bad example."

"Do you remember seeing them or what they looked like?" asked Alan, looking up from his notebook.

"No. Dunno if they ever came over, or if Linny just hung out with them at other places."

"Okay, we got the basics, now tell us about the day she disappeared." Alan said, keeping his golf pencil to the page.

Instead of speaking, Ty rooted around in the box next to him and pulled out a folded envelope, yellowed with age. "This should help with that."

Edgar took the envelope and opened it up. Inside was a faded newspaper clipping, also aged and crinkly. He began reading it, his brow furrowing with each line that passed, before passing it over to Alan, who read it aloud. _""Teenager still missing"_," he said, looking at Ty before continuing.

"_Abelline Marshall, 19, of Santa Carla has now been missing for two days, though police remain hopeful. Marshall's parents reported that she left one night to go out with friends, despite having been feeling sick during the past two days. "She just left and never came back that night," Sarahlee Marshall, the teen's mother, said. "Abelline didn't tell us where she went with her friends and we didn't ask. Even though so many people around here go missing, we never thought that she would…"_

"_The rate of missing persons in Santa Carla is abnormally high, leading to locals calling it the 'Murder Capital of the World'. The cause of the high rate is unknown, though the city also suffers from a high crime rate, ranging from robberies to arson, at an average of 13 percent higher than other cities of a similar size and population. The police are at a loss for why this rate is so high, though they report that they are investigating every possibility and reply to emergencies as promptly as possible. _

"_Ms. Marshall's parents do not lose hope, however, and are telling their second child that his sister will return soon. Despite this and their hope, they still fear the worst. "We just want our daughter back," Matthew Marshall said. For a related article on the Santa Carla crime rate, see page five."_

Neither Edgar nor Alan said anything after the article was finished, and the shop was quiet except for the snores of their parents. "So…now you know how she disappeared," Ty said, though his voice was much more subdued than before. "Without a trace. She was just…gone."

Alan returned the newspaper clipping to the envelope. It wasn't common for the Santa Carla Sentinel to print stories of missing persons, just because there were so many. Occasionally they'd run one, like this one, but it was usually for important people, be it in the mayor's family or something. To run one for an ordinary person was unusual.

Both Frogs were glad it had happened, though, because it gave them something more to run on. Since Ty had been so young, he couldn't remember much, whereas the article had been able to tell them a lot about the night she disappeared.

Alan cleared his throat. "Okay, this should be enough for now, but if you think of anything else, come back and tell us right away."

Ty nodded his head. "Do you want me to leave this stuff here?"

"Yes," Edgar replied. "Might come in useful later on."

Ty nodded again. "Oh, and before you go," Alan said, reaching for a copy of _Vampires Everywhere_, "Read this. It has useful stuff on vampires and might help you if you see this chick again. See if she is a vampire and if it is, might be your sister."

"Linny's not a vampire!" Ty shot back, suddenly angry. His lips curled as he fumed at their repeated insistence that she might be a bloodsucker. Linny would never, could never, be a vampire. No way.

"Just in case. Santa Carla's full of them," Alan said, hoping that by neither agreeing nor disagreeing, they could move past that.

"Fine. I'll read it once - then toss it in the trash." With that, Ty stormed out of the shop and down the boardwalk, hands shoved in his pockets. He was really getting sick of the word _vampire_. If the Frogs called Linny a vampire _one more time_, he'd blow his top and throttle them until they took it back. Even if they had only started proclaiming it the night before, it was way more than he could hear. How would they like it if he accused them of having a vampiric sibling? Not much, he'd bet.

Ty folded the comic and stuck it in his pockets before grasping hard on the railing overlooking the beach. He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to visit a gym and find a punching bag. He was letting his anger get the best of him, and he knew he was, but he couldn't get over Edgar and Alan's total lack of sympathy-he had just asked them to do research on his missing sibling, not open up "Slayers-R-Us"!

By their own accord his feet pounded the steps and sand as he crossed the beach, moving to do what he always did when he was mad - take a nap in the sun. With a devilish smirk he realized that he had discovered the perfect purpose for the stupid comic. Ty sat on the sand for a while, watching the waves. People coursed up and down the beach and through the waves, but he could even ignore that if not for the accompanying shrieks. Finally he lay down on the sand and, before putting his hands under his head, used the comic to shade his eyes. Quickly the low rumble of snores resonated from the pages.


	3. New Allies

Ty's nap was peaceful. It was better than hearing those two nutjobs insist that Linny was a vampire, in any case. Or, rather, it was good until someone decided to kick the comic off his face, filling his open mouth with sand in the process. He sat up and spluttered, spitting and gagging to get the sand out. "Who the hell d'you think you are-Oh. Stella." He gagged again for good measure. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yup." Stella brushed a lock of curly brown hair out of her face as she kneeled in the sand beside Ty. He could see a pair of pink heels in her hand, the same shade as the business suit she wore. "You're burnt. Thought I'd be nice and stop it from getting worse."

With a groan Ty looked down at his arm, now bright pink. "Fantastic."

"Told you that you should remember sunscreen."

"Yes _Mom_."

Stella smiled. "You're welcome. Now, wear a hat and shade that face, you look like the underside of a pillow."

Ty rolled his eyes and stood, dusting himself off. "Why are you here and kicking sand in my face? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Oh please, like they can't get along without me for an hour. I'm on lunch." Stella peered at him closely, as if she was studying a specimen under a microscope. "You only take a nap on the beach when you're not happy. What's wrong?"

"Not right now, Stella."

"Yes, now." Stella checked the watch on her wrist and stood up. "How about a beer? You need one."

"I'm eighteen, Stel." Ty pointed out, standing up straighter to mockingly add, "Legally, I cannot accept a donation of or buy a beer."

Stella smirked and rested her hands on her hips. "Yes, but has that ever stopped you before?"

"Nope, never." Ty agreed. "The Roadhouse?"

"Of course."

Ty was silent until they were sitting in the Roadhouse. It was one of the smaller bars, but it had an almost cozy atmosphere. Stella loved the feel of the bar, and it had perks. Saul, the bartender, wasn't as fussy as some when it came to carding, making it easier for her and Ty to relax with a beer apiece when they needed to talk. As well, it was off the boardwalk in a slightly seedier part of town, which meant that only the very rare tourist ever walked in the door. The regulars were all friendly with one another and it remained quiet and relaxed. When the door was left open, there was a pleasant view of the ocean.

It also served beer at the perfect temperature.

Stella pushed the beer into Ty's hands and took a sip from her own. "Alright, we've got beer, talk."

Ty cupped his hands around the beer, looking into it for a few moments. Stella knew better than to interrupt his silence, waiting patiently for him to start. Finally, he did. "It's about Linny."

"Oh, Ty…" Stella and Linny had been inseparable since they were two. Stella had been the one to discover that she was missing in the first place. She had called in the morning after Linny had left, only for Mrs. Marshall to find that Linny hadn't ben out with Stella as she had claimed. It had been painful, getting married and having two kids, all without the oldest friend in her life. Unconciously she twisted the thick gold band on her left ring finger. "What about Linny?"

Ty suddenly looked bashful. When he started to actually speak, it was quickly, like he was nervous about telling her. "Well…I saw a girl that looked just like her, and so I went to those two dorks at the comic shop on the boardwalk-you know, the ones who are convinced that vampires and werewolves and goblins and ghosts exist-and told them to find Linny, and they think she's a vampire."

Stella's beer was halfway to her lips when it stopped in midair. "Wait…what? You hired two paranoid teenage idiots to find your older sister, who's been missing for almost fifteen years and probably looks totally different, all because you saw a chick who looked like what you remember from when you were four? Do I have that right?"

"Um, yeah."

Stella raised her beer again, taking a large gulp of it before responding. "And do you actually expect them to find her?"

Ty gave a half shrug.

"I'm not going to lie, Ty, I think that was pretty stupid. Now, before you start yelling at me," she said, raising a hand to quell the protests forming, "I know you miss Linny, and I do too. So I'm going to-ah ah, hold on a minute," she said, because Ty had again begun to argue, "I'm going to-I said hold _on_!-I am going to go visit the two kids in that shop and see if they need someone to drive them around town and make sure they don't get any booboos."

Ty had been trying to argue and interrupt Stella several times as she spoke, but when she stopped, he brightened-for the first time since she had woken him up-and grinned. "Really? You'll actually help, Stel?"

"Why not. I think you're stupid for hiring them, but I _am_ curious to see just what they'll dig up."

* * *

If Alan had learned one thing from the stuff Ty had left, it was that dust was his new worst enemy.

Vampire blood, which was thick, smelled awful and stung on his skin, wasn't as evil as dust. Dust made him sneeze every other second and made his hands feel dirty and grimy. Edgar had taken a look in it at first, but immediately told Alan that he could go through it himself. So Edgar was busy dealing with customers as Alan sat behind the counter and made notes based off of Ty's stuff. He had been hoping for something to jump out at him, but there hadn't been an 'a-ha!' moment yet. Just pages of facts.

Alan raised his arms above his head and stretched, thinking of ways to breathe some life into the facts. There was only one he could think of and Edgar didn't know about it. Nor would he approve if he did know. But it could be the key to break the case wide open. He looked to the front of the store, where Edgar was rearranging comics, one eye watching the passer-bys. Since he was distracted, it would be the perfect time. Quickly Alan stuffed his notebook, some comics and a few of the pictures into his backpack, slinging it over a shoulder as he passed his brother. "I'm going to get something to eat."

Edgar didn't even look up as he grunted.

Alan got himself a soda before standing against a railing, far enough from the shop that he wasn't in danger of Edgar catching him. He was hoping that his usual informant would be out tonight, because it would be way more convenient than standing in the same spot every night, waiting for him to show up. The boardwalk was in full swing, the neon lights bright against the dark sky. Alan kept his eyes trained on every face that went by in the thick crowd.

If Edgar discovered his informant before he was ready to reveal it, than Alan expected himself to get staked. His reasoning was simple: use Sergio to his advantage for as long as it took to gain enough trust, find out where he and his buddies slept during the day and then go there with Edgar and some stakes. Simple.

He had been standing there for at least half an hour, the ice in his drink melted, when he finally saw the familiar mane of blonde hair. He didn't approach him, though, merely making eye contact and then he kept waiting.

After what felt like an eternity, he left his friends with a laugh and sauntered over to the railing, leaning on it as he looked out on the water. "Whaddya want, Norris?"

"The usual."

They had agreed to use codenames to ensure that none of their friends could associate them as easily. Alan's was Norris (For Chuck Norris, one of his idols along with Rambo) and Sergio's was Sergio, for a guitarist with blonde hair as big as Sergio's.

Sergio looked at Alan, his blue eyes calculating. "Got something for me?"

"Superman #22 and an old Playboy."

"It'll do. What do you wanna know?"

"Know this girl?" Alan asked, pulling one of the pictures from his bag. Sergio paused before he took it, his hand outstretched. "Oh please, there's no holy _anything_ on it. Really."

"Can't blame me. You try rubbing it with garlic again?"

"You said it doesn't work."

"...Right." Sergio took the picture and looked at it while he took Alan's drink. Alan watched him warily, noting the pause in slurping until he looked at the teenager. "How did you get a picture of Abel?"

"Abel?" Alan asked, looking over at his informant. The straw from his soda was sticking out of one corner of Sergio's mouth as he looked at the picture. "I thought her name was Linny."

"If you wanna know more you gotta pay up," Sergio said, holding the picture out to Alan.

"I don't have anymore. Those are the only ones I brought."

"Then you don't get a thing."

Alan clenched his teeth, thinking. "What if I come back in an hour with more comics?"

"No deal."

"Tomorrow night?"

Sergio thought about it for a moment. "Two Playboys, a Hustler and a Spiderman. You want more information tomorrow, Norris, that's the price."

"Deal." Alan held his hand out to shake, but Sergio laughed at him and tossed the soda over the rails. "Before you go-how do you know 'Abel'?"

Sergio turned towards him as he left to return to his waiting motorcycle. "How do you think I know her?"

* * *

**HI EVERYONE I'M NOT DEAD. I thought I had this chapter up already...apparently not. Sorry about that.**

**Chapter four is done, I'll upload that in a week or two so it's not posted too soon after this one.**

**(It is up over at MBTB already, if you really can't wait.)  
**


	4. Little Sister

Alan dug through the dusty box of magazines, looking for any old comics or magazines that Sergio would be interested in. Almost all of the materials in the box were more than twenty years old, but then, his dad was too busy sleeping and getting high to read them anymore. It was like they would be missed, and using them to get Sergio's information on Linny Marshall would be more useful.

_Why_ he had agreed to bring his informant two _Playboys_, a _Hustler_ _and _a _Spiderman _was beyond him. He was running low on stuff to bribe Sergio with now; he was down to mainly duplicates of _Playboy_ and there was maybe two or three _Hustler _left in the bottom of the large box. As for comics, he was a little better off. There were some old issues (Still in their original packaging) in the box, but not a single issue of _Spiderman_. So, he'd take a couple comics from the box and replace them for a _Spiderman_ at the shop. Since he did inventory, not Edgar, his brother wouldn't know.

"Aha!" he declared triumphantly, pulling a slightly tattered _Playboy _out of the box. It was an issue he hadn't given Sergio yet, and he was sure the blond would appreciate the smiling Marilyn Monroe on the cover.

Now if he could just dig out one more _Playboy_ and a _Hustler_…

He pulled out a _Hustler_ and tossed it on the floor. "If there's a God, let me find porn." Alan muttered to himself, just as he pulled out a second _Playboy. _He looked skyward and muttered a quick thanks before thumping down the stairs.

He still had to get down to the shop and find a good Spiderman, but since he and Edgar would be down there to work it wouldn't be a problem. He would get one from the back in the still unsorted inventory and his brother would never know. Stuff the porn in his book bag and go for 'supper'.

Sergio's information had better be worth it or Alan would stake him then and there on the boardwalk.

* * *

For the umpteenth time Alan checked that his bag was still safely stored under the counter. Since opening the shop that morning, he had sat behind the counter making notes on Linny Marshall's stuff while Edgar helped customers. Whenever someone decided to buy something, Alan would have to leave his notes and ring in their stuff as quickly as possible, before diving back into the box of evidence. His plan was to wait until Edgar was sufficiently distracted, than make his escape. He and Sergio would never agree on a time – they had mutually agreed that looking at a clock to constantly check the time would look suspicious on both their parts.

He examined an old calendar that Linny once had hanging in her bedroom. She had circled 13 May several times, digging into the paper so hard that her pen had almost gone though. Alan quickly closed the calendar and checked the year – 1974. He cocked an eyebrow, rereading his notes and timeline. The thirteenth of May, 1974 was the day Linny Marshall had gone missing.

Was it possible that she knew she was going to disappear?

Anything was possible, though nothing Alan had found suggested that she planned to leave. Nor did Ty contribute any memories of Abel packing her stuff; he said only that she had been arguing frequently with their parents. Alan didn't know what it was like to have parents pay enough attention to argue over his decisions, but he _did _know what it was like to want to escape his parents. What if Ty was wrong – what if Linny had become fed up and just left? He knew it wasn't the answer Ty wanted, but Alan was sure he would prefer it to Linny being a vampire.

Alan made note of the circled date, carefully copying the strange combination of letters in the date's square: "XUQLS FEHLUV. NUYDQLS RKZU."

What the hell did that mean?

Now that he was looking closely, Alan noticed the tiny writing in a couple earlier blocks, seemingly written in the same code. The tenth of May had 'VHYLO XNKKV. FRHUU VYAG.' The day before had 'FRUA YHU DYZJQHUG.'

"Alan!"

Edgar was shaking Alan's shoulder, pulling the younger Frog out of his thoughts. He looked up at his older brother. "Yeah?"

"Since you're not doing anything, go get cheeseburgers."

Alan frowned, tapping his notebook with his pencil. "I just found a big clue in Ty's stuff," he said, "If I can figure it out, this'll get us a lot closer to finding Linny."

"That can wait. I'm helping people, you're sitting here. Go get food."

Alan opened his mouth to argue but realized that this was his chance to go meet Sergio. Instead, he gave his brother a fake sigh and slung his bookbag over his shoulder. "Fine. But I'm not getting you a double cheeseburger or a coke."

"Whatever," Edgar replied, already turning away to stalk the rows of comics.

Alan left the shop, grinning to himself as he dodged and skirted people on the boardwalk. Sergio was already waiting at the railing, but he wasn't alone. Even from twenty feet away Alan could see the girl hanging off of him. She had a pleased look about her, from the smirk on her lips to the way she flipped her long brown hair out of her face. She was holding Sergio's waist in a way that suggested that this was not their first meeting.

He leaned on the railing, waiting beneath the flickering streetlight. The girl giggled as Sergio leaned into her neck. Alan stiffened. He wouldn't try to do anything _here_, in the middle of the boardwalk, would he? Though he knew it would be a foolish move on his informant's part, Alan's hand hovered over his pocket, where he kept a spare stake. Meanwhile, the girl laughed again and nipped Sergio's lower lip with her teeth.

The tall blond finally looked over and noticed Alan standing there, and, with a small grin, eased back from the girl. He whispered in her ear as he looped an arm around her waist. Alan approached them as the girl giggled. "I've got the comic you wanted."

"Got the nudie rags too?"

Alan nodded. "But before you get them, I want my information."

The girl looked up at Sergio as he shrugged. "Abel came into town a few months back with her family. Most of 'em are from here anyways, and her mom is looking over ol' Maxie's shop now that he's gone belly up.

Alan nodded, before a question popped into his mind. "How old is Abel?"

"Uhhhh...Nineteen or twenty, I guess. Why?" Sergio smirked, "You got the hots for her?"

Alan's lips whitened as his teeth were clenched. "No! I'm just trying to get information."

"Why are you so interested in Abel?" The girl asked, shooting Alan a surprisingly irritated glare.

"Why do you care?" Alan retorted.

"She's my sister, asshole."

Alan raised an eyebrow as he examined the girl. Her straight brown hair was hanging down over her shoulders. Large gray eyes glared at him, and her lips thin. Her jaw was squared and made her look was she was scowling, something he had noticed when he was talking to Sergio. Though she was definitely pretty, there was something Alan distrusted in her eyes, something evil and cruel that set him on edge.

"Eleanor." The girl snapped. "… Eleanor Rigby."

Alan had pulled out his notebook and had started writing down the name when he paused, giving the girl a hard look. "Very funny. You don't look like your sister, _Eleanor Rigby_."

The girl gave him her middle finger, saying "We're both adopted, jackass."

Sergio was grinning as he laughed at the expression on Alan's face. "Just for shits 'n' giggles, I'll let you ask another question 'bout Abel. It won't even cost you another nudie rag."

"Really?" Alan asked, pleasantly surprised. The girl – Eleanor – ran her fingers down his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder as she continued to glare at Alan. She stuck her tongue out at the teenager. "Okay…what's Abel's full name?"

"Shit, I dunno. Her mom's name is Alice Arden or something like that. So I guess it's Abel Arden."

Alan scribbled down everything Sergio said as fast as he could before sticking the tip of his pencil at Eleanor. "So what's y_our_ name then? Eleanor Arden?"

"Maybe."

As he was adding that to his notes, Sergio held out a hand and snapped his fingers. "I answered your questions, so where are my comics? My nudie rags? Cough 'em up already, I'm getting old over here!"

"Yeah right." Alan muttered under his breath, reaching into his bag and pulling out the various magazines and comics. Sergio cast an appraising eye over the covers, and grinned as he rolled them in his fist.

"Actually some good stuff! Alright!" He cheered, to which Eleanor had to grin. She tugged on his waist.

"Come on, we're meeting your friends for drinks, we don't want to be late or they'll finish it all off."

Ignoring the blanched look on Alan's face, Sergio and Eleanor walked away grinning.

* * *

"Did you have to bait him like that?" Eleanor huffed, giving the blonde a look.

"Chill out, girl. You're the one who decided to talk about _my friends_ and _drinking_," He replied, tucking the rolled up magazines and comic into his pocket. "Dontcha think that came off as even a _little_ obvious?"

"Says the one who told him all about Abel," she snapped, reaching a hand up to muss the blond's hair.

He yanked her hand away from his hair before replying. "I didn't say anything specific. When Marshall disappeared she was nineteen. She's …what, thirty-three, thirty-four now?"

Eleanor gave him a look. "Yeah, but you said Abel was the exact same age, dumbass."

"So? Far as the Toad knows, she was born in the seventies."

"But Paul, you said that our Mom was looking after the Max's store now that he's dead. Why would anyone but someone he knew well be doing that?"

Paul laughed, lighting up a joint and puffing before replying. "Max had a couple stores. There's Los Gatos, San Fran, L.A. …For all he knows, she's his second in command."

She snatched the joint away and inhaled the smoke herself. "I suppose…"

"Listen, if the Toad asks anymore questions, I'll steer away from the Marshall stuff. Dealio?"

Eleanor merely huffed again as she entered the bar, Paul right behind her. The pair made their way to a booth in the back corner, where three young men were laughing at some joke.

"What took you guys so long?" One of them asked. He looked the youngest, with curly blonde hair falling over his shoulders in waves.

"One of the Toads was asking about Abel," Paul replied, sliding in beside the sole brunette of the trio.

"Like what?" the brunette asked, drinking from a beer can.

"Like who Abel is, and the jackass answered him!" Eleanor responded.

"Why would one of the Toads want to know who Abel is?" The curly haired blond asked.

Paul snatched away the curly blond's beer and drank. "Supposedly some kid wants them to hunt down his missing sister."

The third man in the original trio shifted, moving into the light. His platinum blond hair was spiked in a mullet and his eyes were like ice. "We don't need them sniffing around again. Eleanor?"

"What, David?"

"Do you think Jackie and the rest of your pack would mind taking care of the Toads?"

Eleanor grinned, and for the briefest instant her eyes seemed to glow amber. "I think they'd love it."


End file.
